Resilient wheel.



A. J. GRANGER.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1914.

1,133,130. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

J7 J Grangsr lN ETO I I V/ T NESSE S THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTG-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Armani) :r. enanennor SALIX, Iowa.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dian 23, 19 15 Application filed May 16, 1914. Serial No. 839,118.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARMAND J. GRANGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salix, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

a This invention relates broadly to resilient wheels which include an outer and inner rim and cushioning means interposed between the two said rims and has particular reference to that type of such devices wherein the cushioning means consist of separate bags or tubes positioned at spaced intervals between the two rims.

As a particular object this invention comprehends the provision of a resilient wheel of the foregoing character in which allowance is made for necessary play between the air cushions and the bearing surfaces provided by the two rims and in this case such play is provided forby the positioning of anti-friction bearings between each of the air cushions and the outer rim.

An equally important object is the provision of means whereby the air cushions may be pumped up or deflated by a single connection, the said means linking each of the air'cushion's of the series to the adjacent ones on either side in such manner as to permit the entire numberto act as one during the inflating or deflating process A further object of equally paramount importance with theforegoing is to suitably subdivide the connecting means just previously mentioned into compartments to provide each of such compartments with a desired type of valve so that the whole shall coact with the air cushions connected thereto in "such manner that air will be forced from the lower most cushion upon which the strain is of course the greatest into the cushion which has .just previously occupied that position. I

A still further object is a provision of means permitting a ready egress to particles of sand, dirt, accumulations of moisture or other undesirable matter which might collect from time to time in the outer rim and which if neglected might become obnoxious-to such an extent as to seriously impede the proper operation of the wheel.

The above and additional objects are ac-' complished by such means as are illustratedtions for resilient wheels, .Serial Numbers 816,959 and 794,446,I nevertheless have added to such combination of features entirely novel means for interconnecting the air' cushions, and also provide new means for forcing the air through each cushion successively as the wheel is rotated. It is upon these two points mainly and also upon the other novelties of construction and 'oper,

ation to be hereinafter moreffully disclosed that I desire the protection of Letters Patent. i

. With references to the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts, Figure 1, is a side elevation of the outer and inner rims of my wheel as they appear in assembled relation with the various resilient means interposed therebetween.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged detail, longitudinal sectional view more fully illustrating the ar rangement of the parts shown in Fig. 1 and, Fig. 3, is an enlarged detailed circumferential section of a portion of the outer rim illustrating the means affording egress to undesirable particles of foreign matter that may accumulate therein.

Proceeding now to the drawings it will be seen that the main eledescription of the I i K i ments of my resilient wheel comprise an j outer rim 5 and an inner rim 6 with various resilient means interposed therebetween. This outer rim 5 is of greater diameter obviously than rim 6 so that an annular space separates the two. Theexterior periphery of the rim 5, .is provided with the metal sheathing or tire 7 and'upon its inner periphery is provided with the raised projecting surfaces 8 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Annular plates 9 aresecured on both sides of the rim 5 and being of substantially twice the width thereof, serve as channel plates therefor, while similar plates 10 are likewise provided for the inner rim 6.

The retaining tongues 11 are fixedly mounted in the rim 5 at spaced intervals and are designed to pass radially inward through suitable slots 12 formed in the inner rim 6 and to project a distance beyond the inner circumference of that rim. It will be noted that each of these radial tongues is positioned in the center of one of the raised surfaces 8 and is further provided with a spring 18 as is also described in the above named application. These springs 13 hear at their outer extremities against the raised portions 8 and at their inner extremities against the washer plates 14 which are slotted to receive the tongues 11 and which are adapted to bear upon the plates 15 and to move freely thereupon, these last mentioned plates being positioned over the slots 1.2 and the outer circumference of rim 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The springs 16 are interposed between the tongues 11 and the walls of suitable recesses formed in the rim 6 and communicating with the slot 12 so as to resiliently absorb any forward and backward swinging motion imparted to the retaining tongues 11 when the wheel is in motion.

Intermediately spaced between each two adjacent retaining tongues 11 I provide the air cushions 17 which are mounted on suitable arcuate bearing plates or metal shoes 1'? the latter being mounted upon the antifriction bearings 19 in such manner as to provide the necessary play between the air cushion 17 and the inner circumference of the rim 5. Each of these air cushions 17 is provided with two air stems or channels 18 which are seated in radial bores through the rim 6 and which are connected by means of the union 19 to one of the pipe sections 20 which when joined form the connecting means between the various air cushions of the series. Each of these sections of tubing 20, which are preferably formed of metal as are the air stems 18, is subdivided into two compartments 21 and 22 by transverse partition walls 23 which are positioned immediately between the air stems 18 of each air cushion of the series so that each of said air tubes communicates with a separate compartment. The adjacent ends of the pipe sections 20 are spaced a short distance from each other and are adapted to be joined by means of the unions 24; in each of which unions is positioned the spring controlled ball valve 25 which as shown in Fig. 2 is so designed as to permit the passage of air in but one direction there being, it will be understood, no communication between the compartments of each section 20 except that established by the air bag 17.

Turning now to the particular description of the means providing a ready egress to any sand or moisture that might collect between the channel Walls 9 of the rim 5 as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the raised portions 8 are pointed at each end in order to direct such foreign matter toward suitable apertures 26 formed in the channel members 9, the sides of the raised portions 8 directly opposite these apertures also being pointed so as to insure the passage of such foreign matter out through the apertures 26 as the wheel is rotated.

In operation my resilient wheel is fitted of course with any usual form of spokes and hubs, the latter being preferably of the demountable variety enabling any of my wheels to be removed in case of injury and a new one substituted therefor. As shown in the drawings it is intended that the ve hicle to which the wheel shown in Fig. 2 may be considered attached is proceeding from right to left the wheel thereby being considered as rotating from left to right. Keeping this in mind it will be seen that the air cushion 17 shown in the left of this figure will be the next to occupy the lowermost position of greatest strain which the air cushion on the right is shown as having just quitted. When the first mentioned air cushion arrives at this given position it will be so compressed as to be partly deflated the air passing through the stem on the right into the larger compartment 22 of the air pipe section 20 and being forced onward will enter the compartment 21 of the preceding pipe section by pressing the ball valve 25 against the tension of the spring and so enter the preceding air bag 17 through the stem 18 on the left. By this means each of the air bags successively is partly deflated at the lower most point in its orbit of rotation and is then immediately reinflated by means of air taken from the following air cushion as the latter is partly deflated upon the arriving at the lower most point during the rotation of the wheel. t will thus be seen that the air is continually passing in circuit from one cushion to another always in the direction of the rotation of the wheel, and giving a resiliency which aided by the radially placed springs 13 can not be acquired in any other manner While in the foregoing I have thus illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention I desire to emphasize the fact that I may make such minor changes in the matters of proportion and degree, in later adaptations of my device as shall not alter the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a resilient wheel of the type described, an outer rim, an inner rim, spaced therefrom, a plurality of pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, metal air stems seated in said inner vrim and connected to each of said cushions, and sectional connecting means communicating with said stems whereby each of said cushions is linked to the entire series, each of said sections being subdivided into compartments.

2. A resilient wheel of the type described, an outer rim, an inner rim, pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, a pair of air stems for each cushion seated in suitable bores in said inner rim, sections of tubing connected to each pair of stems, compartments provided in each section to separate the stems of each pair, and means for connecting the sections to'link each cushion to the entire series.

3. A resilient wheel of the type described, an outer rim,an inner rim, pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, a pair of air stems for each cushion seated in suitable bores in said inner rim, sections of tubing connected to each pair of stems, compartments provided in each section to separate the stems of each pair, and valved'means interposed between each of'said sections.

4:. In a resilient wheel of the character described, an outer rim, an inner rim spaced therefrom, raised portions formed at spaced intervals on the inner periphery of said outer rim, annular channel plates providing side walls for said outer rim and apertured at points opposite said raised portions, pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, anti-frictional means positioned between said cushions and said outer rim and means 5. A resilient wheel of the type described,

an outer rim, an inner rim spaced therefrom, a plurality of pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, an inlet and an outlet ai r stem seated in said inner rim and commumeating with said pneumatic cushions, sectional means for connecting each outlet stem of one cushion with the inlet stem of the adjacent cushion, means for connecting the separate portions of said sectional means, spring controlled valves interposed between adjacent sections at their meeting points, and means for providing a flow of air through each cushion and each section successively.

6. A resilient wheel of the type described, an outer rim, an inner rim spaced therefrom, a plurality of pneumatic cushions interposed between said rims, an inlet and an outlet air stem seated in said inner rim and communicating with said pneumatic cushions, sectional means for connecting each outlet stem of one cushion with the inlet stem of-the adj acent cushion, means for connecting the separate portions of said sectional means,

ARMAND J. GRANGER,

Witnesses:

JOHN MULVIHILL, HERMAN FASTIN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

